1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an orientation regularizing apparatus and a sorting apparatus for a lens-fitted photo film unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an orientation regularizing apparatus and a sorting apparatus in which a lens-fitted photo film unit can be treated efficiently for the purpose of recycling.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
Today, industrial products are recycled for the purposes of protection of the environment and reduction of industrial wastes. There are two types of recycling, which include regeneration of raw material of disassembled parts which are mainly plastic, and reuse of disassembled parts in an original form. U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,395 (corresponding to JP-A 6-161042) discloses recycling of a lens-fitted photo film unit. After removal of exposed photo film, the lens-fitted photo film units are withdrawn. A recycling line disassembles the lens-fitted photo film units into parts. An exposure unit, a flash unit and the like are reused. In turn a front cover and a rear cover are subjected to regeneration of material.
The lens-fitted photo film units have a shape of nearly a rectangular parallelepiped, but are different between various types in the size, projecting and retracted patterns of the surface, positions of a shutter release button or a photo film winder wheel, or the like. As the recycling line is installed for each of the types of the lens-fitted photo film units, the lens-fitted photo film units must be sorted into types before supply for the recycling line. Also, the lens-fitted photo film units should be oriented with its taking lens directed upward in the recycling line in the course of recycling operation. Thus the orientation of the lens-fitted photo film units should be regularized before the supply for the recycling line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,224 (corresponding to JP-A 6-156688) discloses an aligning apparatus, which is constituted by a V-shaped conveyor, a cylindrically shaped rotatable drum and a top-to-bottom turning mechanism. The V-shaped conveyor is supplied with the lens-fitted photo film units in random orientations, and conveys them toward the drum. The drum is provided with a helically shaped guiding structure disposed on the inside. Rotation of the guiding structure causes the lens-fitted photo film units to come to be conveyed in its longitudinal direction. So the lens-fitted photo film units become oriented in a top-upward or bottom-upward orientation. The top-to-bottom turning mechanism consists of a dropping device and first and second conveyors. The second conveyor is disposed under the first in parallel. The first conveyor is supplied with the lens-fitted photo film units in the top-upward or bottom-upward orientation. The dropping device, of which an example is an air blow device, moves the lens-fitted photo film units from the first conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The lens-fitted photo film units are turned upside down and caused to drop on the second conveyor.
However the aligning apparatus according to the above document has a shortcoming in that it cannot regularize the lens-fitted photo film units in a predetermined one of a front-forward orientation in which a front wall of the lens-fitted photo film units is directed forward, and a rear-forward orientation in which a rear wall of the lens-fitted photo film units is directed forward. It is noted that JP-U 63-139231 and JP-A 6-286853 discloses a turning device for changing a direction of a workpiece in reverse to the conveying direction. The turning device makes it possible to regularize the lens-fitted photo film units in a predetermined one of the front-forward and rear-forward orientations. However there arise considerable problems if the turning device of those documents is combined with the aligning apparatus. The turning device must be disposed either in front of or behind the aligning apparatus, to increase the total length of the line. A space for installing the aligning apparatus becomes too large and unsuitable to be used. Also, the number of processes in operation of the line is too large in an unwanted manner.
JP-A 8-282837 discloses a sorting apparatus, which is constituted by a conveyor belt, two direction changing plates and plural paths. The direction changing plates and the paths are disposed in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt. The lens-fitted photo film units are so oriented erectly that its longitudinal direction is set in the conveying direction. When the lens-fitted photo film units are passed between the direction changing plates, the direction changing plates are rotated at a predetermined angle. The direction of the lens-fitted photo film units is changed to introduce the lens-fitted photo film units into a designated one of the plural paths.
In the above document, the direction changing plates change the direction of the lens-fitted photo film units while the lens-fitted photo film units are oriented erect on the conveyor belt. It is very likely that the lens-fitted photo film units fall down between the direction changing plates. Also the width of the conveyor belt is fixed to limit the number of the paths. The sorting apparatus of the prior art is unsuitable for sorting of a considerable number of types.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an orientation regularizing apparatus for a lens-fitted photo film unit in which the number of processes in operation of the apparatus is prevented from being too great, and a size of the apparatus is prevented from being too large.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sorting apparatus for a lens-fitted photo film unit in which accidents in operation are reduced, and the number of types to be sorted can be easily increased.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, an orientation regularizing apparatus, for a lens-fitted photo film unit having front, rear, top and bottom surfaces, is provided. A supplier supplies the lens-fitted photo film unit aligned in one line in a conveying direction, the lens-fitted photo film unit having one of first, second, third and fourth orientations while conveyed, the second orientation having the front and rear surfaces replaced with one another with reference to the first orientation, the third orientation having the front and rear surfaces replaced with one another and the top and bottom surfaces replaced with one another with reference to the first orientation, and the fourth orientation having the top and bottom surfaces replaced with one another with reference to the first orientation. First, second, third and fourth conveying paths are supplied with the lens-fitted photo film unit by the supplier. An orientation discriminator discriminates which the lens-fitted photo film unit from the supplier has of the first to fourth orientations. A sorter is operated according to a discrimination result from the orientation discriminator, for guiding the lens-fitted photo film unit to the first to fourth conveying paths when the lens-fitted photo film unit has respectively the first to fourth orientations. A first front-to-rear turning unit is disposed in the second conveying path, for turning over the lens-fitted photo film unit to replace the front and rear surfaces with one another, so as to set the lens-fitted photo film unit regularly in the first orientation. A first top-to-bottom turning unit is disposed in the third conveying path, for turning over the lens-fitted photo film unit to replace the top and bottom surfaces with one another and to replace the front and rear surfaces with one another, so as to set the lens-fitted photo film unit regularly in the first orientation. A second front-to-rear turning unit is disposed in the fourth conveying path, for turning over the lens-fitted photo film unit to replace the front and rear surfaces with one another. A second top-to-bottom turning unit is disposed in the fourth conveying path, for turning over the lens-fitted photo film unit to replace the top and bottom surfaces with one another and to replace the front and rear surfaces with one another, so as to set the lens-fitted photo film unit regularly in the first orientation.
In the present invention, the first and second front-to-rear turning units and the first and second top-to-bottom turning units are combined sufficiently simply in effective operation of regularizing the orientation of the lens-fitted photo film unit. By this construction, the number of processes in operation of the apparatus is prevented from being too great. A size of the apparatus is prevented from being too large.
In a preferred embodiment, the conveying direction is a longitudinal direction of the lens-fitted photo film unit.
Furthermore, an aligning mechanism aligns the lens-fitted photo film unit from the first to fourth conveying paths in one line with the first orientation kept.
The orientation regularizing apparatus operates for the lens-fitted photo film unit after photo film removal, and the lens-fitted photo film unit is supplied to a recycling line therefor after setting in the first orientation.
When the lens-fitted photo film unit is in the first and second orientations, the top surface is directed upwards.
The orientation discriminator includes a light source for applying inspecting light to the lens-fitted photo film unit. A pick-up unit picks up the inspecting light reflected by the lens-fitted photo film unit. A determining unit determines one of the first to fourth orientations in accordance with the inspecting light picked up.
The first or second front-to-rear turning unit includes a rotary guiding mechanism, disposed in the second or fourth conveying path, rotatable about a vertically extending rotational axis, having first and second opposed portions, the first and second opposed portions being arranged horizontally and opposed to one another, for receiving insertion of the lens-fitted photo film unit therebetween in conveyance. A position sensor detects a reach of the lens-fitted photo film unit to the rotary guiding mechanism. A controller is responsive to an output from the position sensor, for causing the rotary guiding mechanism to make half a rotation.
Furthermore, a conveyor conveys the lens-fitted photo film unit along the second or fourth conveying path. A stopper is disposed in the second or fourth conveying path and upstream from the rotary guiding mechanism, for blocking the lens-fitted photo film unit in the second or fourth conveying path. The controller operates in turning and conveying steps alternately, and when in the turning step, causes the stopper to block lens-fitted photo film units succeeding to a first one of plural lens-fitted photo film units arranged in the conveying direction, and causes the rotary guiding mechanism to turn the first lens-fitted photo film unit, and when in the conveying step, causes the conveyor to convey the first lens-fitted photo film unit out of the rotary guiding mechanism, and shifts the stopper out of the second or fourth conveying path to supply the rotary guiding mechanism with one of the lens-fitted photo film units succeeding to the first lens-fitted photo film unit.
The first or second top-to-bottom turning unit includes a dropping section for dropping the lens-fitted photo film unit from a predetermined position by shifting the lens-fitted photo film unit in a direction crosswise to the conveying direction during conveyance. A receiving section is disposed under the predetermined position, for receiving the lens-fitted photo film unit dropped and oriented upside down.
The dropping section includes a carrier roller disposed upstream from the predetermined position and oriented substantially horizontally. A return roller is disposed downstream from the predetermined position and oriented erectly with reference to the carrier roller. A twisted conveyor belt is supported and driven by the carrier roller and the return roller and twisted with reference to the conveying direction.
Furthermore, a sorting device sorts the lens-fitted photo film unit from the first to fourth conveying paths.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a sorting apparatus for a lens-fitted photo film unit includes a type discriminator for detecting a type of the lens-fitted photo film unit. A conveyor serially conveys the lens-fitted photo film unit from the type discriminator along a sorting conveying path. A position detector detects a position of the lens-fitted photo film unit along the sorting conveying path. N ejecting paths are arranged on one side of the sorting conveying path, extended crosswise to the sorting conveying path, and associated with respectively predetermined types. N pushers are disposed on an opposite side to the N ejecting paths with respect to the sorting conveying path, and movable toward respectively the N ejecting paths. A controller is responsive to outputs from the type discriminator and the position detector, for controlling the N pushers, the controller designating a Kth one of the N pushers in accordance with the detected type, and driving the Kth pusher when the lens-fitted photo film unit moves to a position of the Kth pusher, so as to push the lens-fitted photo film unit from the sorting conveying path to the Kth ejecting path.
In the present invention, the plural ejecting paths and the plural pushers are disposed in combination with the sorting conveying path. By this construction, the number of types to be sorted can be easily increased. Accidents in operation are reduced.
In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor conveys the lens-fitted photo film unit in a longitudinal direction thereof along the sorting conveying path.
The lens-fitted photo film unit includes a taking lens. Furthermore, an orientation regularizer is disposed upstream from the type discriminator, for orienting the lens-fitted photo film unit with the taking lens directed upwards.
The type discriminator includes a light source for applying inspecting light to the lens-fitted photo film unit. A pick-up unit picks up the inspecting light reflected by the lens-fitted photo film unit. The controller determines one of the types in accordance with the inspecting light picked up.
The sorting apparatus operates for the lens-fitted photo film unit after photo film removal, and the lens-fitted photo film unit is supplied to a recycling line therefor after being pushed to the N ejecting paths.
The position detector includes N sensors, disposed along the sorting conveying path in association with respectively the N pushers, for detecting the lens-fitted photo film unit.
In another preferred embodiment, the position detector includes a length measuring unit for measuring a conveyed distance at which the conveyor conveys the lens-fitted photo film unit along the sorting conveying path. The controller stores N reference distances predetermined for respectively the N pushers along the sorting conveying path, and when the conveyed distance comes up to a Kth one of the N reference distances, detects that the lens-fitted photo film unit is located in the position of the Kth pusher.